Washington University’s club water polo team has won four consecutive national championships.

Washington University has an assortment of fitness groups that are geared toward everyone from serious athletes to those who just want to stay in shape; through varsity, club and intramural sports, students have all kinds of opportunities to be physically active. 

Most people on the Danforth Campus know that varsity sports compete officially in the NCAA, but many are less clear on the nature of club and intramural sports.

Though the top-ranked Washington University women’s soccer team missed out on a travel opportunity to San Antonio for this weekend’s national semifinals, the women’s club soccer players had punched their tickets to the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Soccer Championships Nov. 21-23 in Phoenix.

The Washington University men’s club water polo team claimed its first Division III club national championship this past weekend. The Bears traveled to Hamilton College in upstate New York to participate in the tournament. “This year’s team has been very positive and focused,” captain Eric Potter, a senior, said.

While the members of the Washington University women’s volleyball team have their eyes set on another national championship, they’re not the only volleyball players on campus who have high hopes for their future.

The Washington University club squash team will compete for the Collegiate Squash Association Hawthorn Cup in its inaugural season. The cup is awarded to the champion of the “G” division.

In the wake of the women’s golf team’s quick successes, including reaching the NCAA Championship in its second year of existence, junior Zack Cupkovic and freshman Kyle Bank are working with Washington University’s Athletic Department in an effort to transform the club golf team into a varsity program. If successful, Washington University will field a men’s golf team for the first time since 1992, when the sport fell victim to budget cuts.

While the girls are away, the guys did play. For the first time in at least four years, the men’s club volleyball team, which is reestablishing itself on the club scene, hosted a tournament in the Athletic Complex.

As incoming freshmen, many of you have questions about the Wash. U. club scene. Club sports, that is.

Due to the wide variety of deliciously unhealthy food available on campus at any time of the day or night, the Freshman 15 is a big concern for many students; here are some tips to avoid gaining weight during your freshman year.